I think it's safe to say that kitting out a nursery second time around has been a lot more straightforward than when I was pregnant with Posey.
Being pregnant for the first time, I felt excited but dumb-founded every time I went into a baby shop! I just didn't know where to start. Buzz and I were clueless!
There is a mass of useful information online and available through antenatal groups, such as NCT classes. The best source of advice I found was experienced mums. Mum friends who'd already had a baby or were on the second / third babies. This time I pulled together a list of everything that worked well for Posey and I've bought it for the new baby. She might be a completely different baby but at least I feel prepared!
So here are my best buys:
1. Bugaboo Bee.
Posey had an icandy peach. I loved it and wouldn't have swapped it for the world for the first 9 mths but once I started using the microlite stroller for short trips I found the icandy heavy, bulky and a little awkward to keep in the car. This time I wanted something that both the baby and Posey can use. I wanted an adaptable, lightweight, stylish and easy to use travel system.
The great thing about the Bee is it ticks all of those boxes. The baby's maxi cosi car seat can clip on the base with the pushchair seat still in place, rather than having to swap them. The carrycot is a cocoon which lies flat in the pushchair seat, meaning no separate carrycot to store. The idea Buzz and I have is that either the baby can be in her car seat or cocoon with Posey walking or on the buggy
board, or Posey can be in the pushchair and the baby can be in the baby bjorn carrier. Posey doesn't
use a pushchair much now so it felt silly buying a double.
We chose the Bugaboo Bee All Black special edition at £529, with off white accessories including cocoon, footmuff & parasol. We also have a buggy board and maxi cosi adaptors so we can easily clip the baby's car seat onto the base.
2. Maxi Cosi Cabriofix and footmuff.
The baby is due on Feb 2, so it will be cold!! Mothercare ran a promotion recently and we got a free cabriofix car seat when we bought the Bugaboo. It was great! To save us flagging with snow suits and blankets depending on if we're inside or out we bought a footmuff that just unzips, keeping the baby either warm or cold. I think it'll work really well.
3. Dr Browns feeding equipment.
Breast feeding didn't work out with Posey and I feel so scarred from it that this time my baby will be formula fed from the start. I'd love to express too, but all of her milk will be bottle fed.
Buzz and I bought everything from Dr Browns! Their bottles were the only ones that agreed with Posey and stopped her being refluxy. We found them after trying and giving up on Avent, Tommee Tippee, Medela and Mam bottles through wind-induced lack of sleep!
We have bought an electric steriliser, 12 feeding bottles (10 of which are special edition pink - yay!!), an electric bottle warmer and a selection of follow-on teats.
4. Next Baby clothes.
I love shopping for baby clothes. There are such gorgeous pieces in the shops, particularly in at he White Company, JoJo Maman Bebe and Le Petit Bateau. Great for presents! When buying for my own baby though, and knowing how many vests and sleep suits she'll rattle through on leaky nappy / sick / milk dribble days I wanted nice clothes that didn't cost me the earth.
I find that sizing is fairly inconsistent between stores and supermarket sizes can be huge! The baby clothes I have from Next though, are great-sized for birthweight, wash well, dry well, don't lose their shape and are stylish. All of my new baby's clothes are from Next and I know they will be fab.
Note to friends - presents from TWC, JoJo & Le P Bateau though ;)x
5. Bloom highchair.
I love them! They may cost £400 upwards but boy are they worth it! With the baby snug and 3 different recline positions you can use them from birth. Posey has used hers every day from birth and is now 2 and 3mths. I can't see her stopping using it any time soon. She never resists it and refuses to give it to the baby! So we got another one....
The baby will have a white highchair and orange seat insert. Her snug will go in the seat fully tilted backwards until she can sit unaided, at which point the tray will go on for her. Having the Bloom Fresco Loft means she is at work top height in the kitchen rather than in a bouncer on the floor and she can sit with us at the breakfast bar.
What are your best baby buys?
x
Sunday, 17 November 2013
Into Week 30 of pregnancy!
Firstly, it really has been a number of weeks since I last blogged, so apologies for the lack of updates! If you follow me on twitter you'll have seen a few snippets I'm sure. It really has been manic recently!!!
Today I am 29 weeks pregnant! It's a great feeling and I'm immensely proud of my big bump (which actually measures a little on the large side but we won't worry about that just yet..)
My second trimester was pretty easy going. I felt fortunate. I had plenty of energy, ate well, Posey was well behaved and Buzz and I did lots of preparation getting the bedroom ready for our new baby girl. In fact, right now the only remaining purchase is the isofix base for her car seat! We 've delayed that as I'm having a new car delivered this week and will pop into John Lewis for a fitting once it's here.
So it's been very busy preparing the baby's bedroom. Many people have commented on how organised I've been with it. The truth is I'm terrified of having another early birth so want to stay in control as far as possible! I was also aware that once my third trimester started the tiredness, heartburn and patchy sleep at night could start at any time, and boy was I right! Now most things are done I am spending a considerably greater amount of time relaxing and enjoying me time. Buzz is being great with Posey and I've cut my work commitments right back, including selling one of my three businesses. I really want to look after myself and stay pregnant for as long as possible. If the baby arrives early I don't want to feel as if me being super-busy and un-chilled out as contributed to it. It's world prematurity day today and I remember vividly the emotions I went through when posey arrived early and spent time on SCBU. It was tough and I don't want to be there again.
I started a pregnancy yoga class in October. I love it! I sleep like a log afterwards and I find it very very relaxing. I'll keep going as long as I'm able to. I'd totally recommend it. I've been doing some gentle TRX and Pilates with my personal trainer too. I'll do that after the birth as well. Posey used to sleep in her car seat while I did it last time so hopefully this time I'll be able to do it again, while Posey is at preschool and the baby is asleep! Fingers crossed!
x
Ps. I shall blog more about family, The terrible-twos and my top nursery purchases very soon x
Today I am 29 weeks pregnant! It's a great feeling and I'm immensely proud of my big bump (which actually measures a little on the large side but we won't worry about that just yet..)
My second trimester was pretty easy going. I felt fortunate. I had plenty of energy, ate well, Posey was well behaved and Buzz and I did lots of preparation getting the bedroom ready for our new baby girl. In fact, right now the only remaining purchase is the isofix base for her car seat! We 've delayed that as I'm having a new car delivered this week and will pop into John Lewis for a fitting once it's here.
So it's been very busy preparing the baby's bedroom. Many people have commented on how organised I've been with it. The truth is I'm terrified of having another early birth so want to stay in control as far as possible! I was also aware that once my third trimester started the tiredness, heartburn and patchy sleep at night could start at any time, and boy was I right! Now most things are done I am spending a considerably greater amount of time relaxing and enjoying me time. Buzz is being great with Posey and I've cut my work commitments right back, including selling one of my three businesses. I really want to look after myself and stay pregnant for as long as possible. If the baby arrives early I don't want to feel as if me being super-busy and un-chilled out as contributed to it. It's world prematurity day today and I remember vividly the emotions I went through when posey arrived early and spent time on SCBU. It was tough and I don't want to be there again.
I started a pregnancy yoga class in October. I love it! I sleep like a log afterwards and I find it very very relaxing. I'll keep going as long as I'm able to. I'd totally recommend it. I've been doing some gentle TRX and Pilates with my personal trainer too. I'll do that after the birth as well. Posey used to sleep in her car seat while I did it last time so hopefully this time I'll be able to do it again, while Posey is at preschool and the baby is asleep! Fingers crossed!
x
Ps. I shall blog more about family, The terrible-twos and my top nursery purchases very soon x
Friday, 30 August 2013
Almost 18 weeks :)
Wow, it feels like a long time since I've updated my blog, and I guess it has been a month so I'm right!
The last month has been pretty busy and very soon I'll be officially half way through my pregnancy, so time really is flying. My energy is well and truly back, and I feel like I'm making the most of my 'nice' second trimester. It really is true that you should aim to do whatever big things in your life you need to do during the second trimester, as the first and third can be pretty hard going.
At 16 weeks Buzz and I had an extra 'reassurance' scan at a local private clinic. It was so lovely to see our little baby rolling around and kicking about on the screen. Thankfully everything still looks ok! We also found out we are expecting a little girl! It will be so nice for Posey to have a little sister :)
It was also Posey's birthday last week so we threw her a big Peppa Pig party with 25 of her friends and more soft play than you could imagine! She had a great time. I used to dream of being able to have big parties for my kids during those years when I wondered if it would ever happen. I feel very very fortunate to be able to hold those parties now.
My third business has also taken off well, which I'm really round of. I shall milk it as much as possible before taking a little time off in the new year as my due date approaches!
Another thing I've been doing is writing my list of baby purchases. We pretty much gave away or sold everything we used when Posey was a baby as I felt like I needed closure in case we were never lucky enough to have another child. So I'm getting pretty excited abut hitting John Lewis, JoJo Maman Bebe and Next to start buying for our baby. We're having her bedroom decorated when I'm around 22 weeks so after that we'll buy the furniture, blind, curtains and everything else she'll need. We're also having new carpets fitted when I'll be around 24 weeks so that will be nice! I kind of feel like 34 weeks is 'time up' for 2 reasons. Firstly, I'll be 34 wees at Christmas and it would be great to just focus on enjoying Christmas with Buzz and Posey rather than feel in a rush to get the baby's room ready. Secondly, Posey arrived at 35 weeks so I'm terrified the new baby will be earlier! So weeks 22-34 are going to be very busy with decorating, carpet fitting, baby buying and generally us getting ready!
Our next stop is my 20 week scan. That is on September 18, so is not far away at all. Fingers crossed everything with the baby will still look like it's developing well and we will get some more lovely pictures of our beautiful baby girl x
The last month has been pretty busy and very soon I'll be officially half way through my pregnancy, so time really is flying. My energy is well and truly back, and I feel like I'm making the most of my 'nice' second trimester. It really is true that you should aim to do whatever big things in your life you need to do during the second trimester, as the first and third can be pretty hard going.
At 16 weeks Buzz and I had an extra 'reassurance' scan at a local private clinic. It was so lovely to see our little baby rolling around and kicking about on the screen. Thankfully everything still looks ok! We also found out we are expecting a little girl! It will be so nice for Posey to have a little sister :)
It was also Posey's birthday last week so we threw her a big Peppa Pig party with 25 of her friends and more soft play than you could imagine! She had a great time. I used to dream of being able to have big parties for my kids during those years when I wondered if it would ever happen. I feel very very fortunate to be able to hold those parties now.
My third business has also taken off well, which I'm really round of. I shall milk it as much as possible before taking a little time off in the new year as my due date approaches!
Another thing I've been doing is writing my list of baby purchases. We pretty much gave away or sold everything we used when Posey was a baby as I felt like I needed closure in case we were never lucky enough to have another child. So I'm getting pretty excited abut hitting John Lewis, JoJo Maman Bebe and Next to start buying for our baby. We're having her bedroom decorated when I'm around 22 weeks so after that we'll buy the furniture, blind, curtains and everything else she'll need. We're also having new carpets fitted when I'll be around 24 weeks so that will be nice! I kind of feel like 34 weeks is 'time up' for 2 reasons. Firstly, I'll be 34 wees at Christmas and it would be great to just focus on enjoying Christmas with Buzz and Posey rather than feel in a rush to get the baby's room ready. Secondly, Posey arrived at 35 weeks so I'm terrified the new baby will be earlier! So weeks 22-34 are going to be very busy with decorating, carpet fitting, baby buying and generally us getting ready!
Our next stop is my 20 week scan. That is on September 18, so is not far away at all. Fingers crossed everything with the baby will still look like it's developing well and we will get some more lovely pictures of our beautiful baby girl x
Monday, 29 July 2013
Second trimester here I come!
So today I am 13 weeks pregnant. 13 weeks and I'm still struggling to believe I'm fortunate enough for this to be happening to me again and also spending much of my time wondering if I really am pregnant or if it's a dream!
Last week Buzz and I went together for our 12 week scan. We were pretty much straight in there (with a very full bladder...) so there wasn't much waiting around. We saw our baby straight away on the monitor, moving and kicking around! We also saw the heartbeat and as I arched my hips so the sonographer could get a better view we saw 2 little legs & feet and two arms! It amazed me this time (as it did last time) how much you can see on a little baby who measures little more than 12cm in length! Our baby's face was very clear, we could see the nasal bone and we even got a little wave :)
Our baby is measuring bang on for dates, with a good heartbeat and the nuchal fold measurement was 1.6mm. The sonographer told us that anything over 2.5mm would be a concern. We have gone for the combined nuchal fold test this time so are currently awaiting the results of my blood tests in order for the midwives to work out our risk factor for Down's syndrome & other chromosomal abnormalities. If we are a high risk, we will receive a phone call within 7 working days (we're now on day 5) and if we are lower risk they will write to us. Hopefully we will receive a letter in the post and not a phone call.
Over the last week I've felt pretty good. It was so nice to see our baby again and know that it's developing correctly. We have told a number of our close friends & family this week that we are expecting a little brother or sister for Violet. Everyone has been thrilled for us! I have also done a little online shopping of the maternity ranges at Topshop and asos.com so I now have some lovely, comfy, fashionable clothes that will see me through this pregnancy. I am loving my elasticated waistband jeans as my tummy seems to be getting bigger each day!
I have also launched my third business over the last week, which I'm really proud of. Being at home being a mum and working as & when it suits me is definitely for me.
x
Last week Buzz and I went together for our 12 week scan. We were pretty much straight in there (with a very full bladder...) so there wasn't much waiting around. We saw our baby straight away on the monitor, moving and kicking around! We also saw the heartbeat and as I arched my hips so the sonographer could get a better view we saw 2 little legs & feet and two arms! It amazed me this time (as it did last time) how much you can see on a little baby who measures little more than 12cm in length! Our baby's face was very clear, we could see the nasal bone and we even got a little wave :)
Our baby is measuring bang on for dates, with a good heartbeat and the nuchal fold measurement was 1.6mm. The sonographer told us that anything over 2.5mm would be a concern. We have gone for the combined nuchal fold test this time so are currently awaiting the results of my blood tests in order for the midwives to work out our risk factor for Down's syndrome & other chromosomal abnormalities. If we are a high risk, we will receive a phone call within 7 working days (we're now on day 5) and if we are lower risk they will write to us. Hopefully we will receive a letter in the post and not a phone call.
Over the last week I've felt pretty good. It was so nice to see our baby again and know that it's developing correctly. We have told a number of our close friends & family this week that we are expecting a little brother or sister for Violet. Everyone has been thrilled for us! I have also done a little online shopping of the maternity ranges at Topshop and asos.com so I now have some lovely, comfy, fashionable clothes that will see me through this pregnancy. I am loving my elasticated waistband jeans as my tummy seems to be getting bigger each day!
I have also launched my third business over the last week, which I'm really proud of. Being at home being a mum and working as & when it suits me is definitely for me.
x
Sunday, 21 July 2013
Hurray hurray! 12 weeks pregnant today!
Wowzers, I feel like I've reached a magical milestone today - the 12 week mark!
I feel very fortunate to have just written the above sentence as my twitter feed is currently littered with a lot of BFNs, news of miscarriage, girls not responding to IVF treatment and those waiting to start treatment. Pregnancy really is a blessing and does not always come easily.
Today Buzz, Posey and I are just chilling at home. It's the perfect family Sunday really as the weather is lovely and we can use the garden. We have all the patio doors open at the back of the house so we can just potter around!
Tuesday is a big day as that's when Buzz and I have our 12 week scan to confirm dates and ensure the baby is developing correctly, I have no reason to believe things aren't as they should be but naturally there's fear in my mind that something might not be right. I have lots of things to keep me busy until Tuesday and then our scan is at 8.50am so will be here before I know it hopefully.
Tuesday is also Posey's first day at preschool. She's now 23 months and is graduating from nursery to preschool at her current school. She has to wear a uniform from now on! Scary stuff! Hopefully she'll settle in well. Lots of her friends are moving with her so she'll be with familiar faces.
I had to start taking Pregaday iron tablets this week as my iron levels were low. I had been feeling very very tired and a little dizzy from time to time and now I feel much less so, so hopefully they ,ve made a good difference. I have to take them until the baby arrives.
I'm also still taking my pregnacare supplements daily as well as my crinone progesterone pessaries each day. I have to take my crinone each evening until I'm 13 weeks and then every 2 evenings until I'm 14 weeks. By then the placenta will have taken over from the yolk sack and my body will no longer need the extra progesterone. Much as it puts my mind at rest taking it at the moment, I'll be pleased to stop as it is a little yucky!!
Wish me luck for Tuesday x
I feel very fortunate to have just written the above sentence as my twitter feed is currently littered with a lot of BFNs, news of miscarriage, girls not responding to IVF treatment and those waiting to start treatment. Pregnancy really is a blessing and does not always come easily.
Today Buzz, Posey and I are just chilling at home. It's the perfect family Sunday really as the weather is lovely and we can use the garden. We have all the patio doors open at the back of the house so we can just potter around!
Tuesday is a big day as that's when Buzz and I have our 12 week scan to confirm dates and ensure the baby is developing correctly, I have no reason to believe things aren't as they should be but naturally there's fear in my mind that something might not be right. I have lots of things to keep me busy until Tuesday and then our scan is at 8.50am so will be here before I know it hopefully.
Tuesday is also Posey's first day at preschool. She's now 23 months and is graduating from nursery to preschool at her current school. She has to wear a uniform from now on! Scary stuff! Hopefully she'll settle in well. Lots of her friends are moving with her so she'll be with familiar faces.
I had to start taking Pregaday iron tablets this week as my iron levels were low. I had been feeling very very tired and a little dizzy from time to time and now I feel much less so, so hopefully they ,ve made a good difference. I have to take them until the baby arrives.
I'm also still taking my pregnacare supplements daily as well as my crinone progesterone pessaries each day. I have to take my crinone each evening until I'm 13 weeks and then every 2 evenings until I'm 14 weeks. By then the placenta will have taken over from the yolk sack and my body will no longer need the extra progesterone. Much as it puts my mind at rest taking it at the moment, I'll be pleased to stop as it is a little yucky!!
Wish me luck for Tuesday x
Sunday, 14 July 2013
11 weeks pregnant :)
Hurray hurray, just one more week until 'ok'! In theory....
I think you read a lot about how the first 12 weeks of pregnancy are the most critical and then after that, coupled with your 12 week scan, the risk of miscarriage reduces dramatically and it's kind of ok to start announcing your pregnancy to friends and colleagues.
Buzz and I announced my pregnancy with Posey when I was around 13 weeks and we'd had the results of our nuchal fold scan back, which gave us a low risk of Down's syndrome and other chromosomal abnormalities. I already had a bit of a bump, and we felt we'd waited so long that it was finally OUR turn to announce our pregnancy. What an amzing feeling that was!
On my 12 week scan I will actually be 12+2 and we will have our nuchal fold scan that day too. I have a bump already! I'm naturally somewhere between a size 6-8 so being petite, my bump is quite obvious. I've been hiding it with skinny jeans and loose fitting tops. I'm looking forward to not having to do that for much longer!
Buzz and I have decided that we'll wait until we have our nuchal fold scan results again before we announce our current pregnancy. I imagine I'll be somewhere between 13-14 weeks by then so going into my second trimester.
So how am I feeling just now?
Bit mixed tbh. At my booking appt when I was 9+3 they did standard blood tests and yesterday I received a letter in the post advising me to collect sme iron tablets from my maternity unit as I'm anaemic. I felt like crying, like I'd let us down. I took iron supplements through my pregnancy with Posey but not until around 20 weeks. I've been feeling pretty exhausted again over the last 2 weeks and a little dizzy from time to time, so I guess that's explained by my iron deficiency. I'm vegetarian, so although I take my pregnacare supplements, of course I don't get iron through meat. While pregnant with Posey, I had regular nosebleeds too, and I had one 2 days ago, so perhaps they're going to feature in this pregnancy too!
Apart from that & some bloating (which I'm blaming on my crinone progesterone supplements) I'm ok! Enjoying being pregnant! Definitely looking forward to our 12 week scan next week too.
x
I think you read a lot about how the first 12 weeks of pregnancy are the most critical and then after that, coupled with your 12 week scan, the risk of miscarriage reduces dramatically and it's kind of ok to start announcing your pregnancy to friends and colleagues.
Buzz and I announced my pregnancy with Posey when I was around 13 weeks and we'd had the results of our nuchal fold scan back, which gave us a low risk of Down's syndrome and other chromosomal abnormalities. I already had a bit of a bump, and we felt we'd waited so long that it was finally OUR turn to announce our pregnancy. What an amzing feeling that was!
On my 12 week scan I will actually be 12+2 and we will have our nuchal fold scan that day too. I have a bump already! I'm naturally somewhere between a size 6-8 so being petite, my bump is quite obvious. I've been hiding it with skinny jeans and loose fitting tops. I'm looking forward to not having to do that for much longer!
Buzz and I have decided that we'll wait until we have our nuchal fold scan results again before we announce our current pregnancy. I imagine I'll be somewhere between 13-14 weeks by then so going into my second trimester.
So how am I feeling just now?
Bit mixed tbh. At my booking appt when I was 9+3 they did standard blood tests and yesterday I received a letter in the post advising me to collect sme iron tablets from my maternity unit as I'm anaemic. I felt like crying, like I'd let us down. I took iron supplements through my pregnancy with Posey but not until around 20 weeks. I've been feeling pretty exhausted again over the last 2 weeks and a little dizzy from time to time, so I guess that's explained by my iron deficiency. I'm vegetarian, so although I take my pregnacare supplements, of course I don't get iron through meat. While pregnant with Posey, I had regular nosebleeds too, and I had one 2 days ago, so perhaps they're going to feature in this pregnancy too!
Apart from that & some bloating (which I'm blaming on my crinone progesterone supplements) I'm ok! Enjoying being pregnant! Definitely looking forward to our 12 week scan next week too.
x
Sunday, 7 July 2013
10 weeks pregnant :)
Yay! So today is officially the day when our embryo turns into a foetus! We're also 25% of the way through my pregnancy. How time flies.
I'm feeling pretty good just now. I'm exhausted by 9.30pm but I have my energy back during the day and my nausea seems to have passed. Hopefully it'll stay that way. I've been enjoying lots of time outside with Posey in the sunshine over the last week but I'm having to wear as high a factor as her as my skin seems very sensitive to the sun. I'm drinking loads and loads of water too to keep me hydrated.
Buzz and I went to our booking appointment this week too. It was all fairly straightforward but the hospital have put me under consultant care this time rather than sole midwife-care as Posey arrived prematurely. I feel ok about it as I am terrified this baby will arrive early too, so the more care I get, the better.
My 12 week scan is booked for 23 July, which is a little over 2 weeks away. I'll be 12+2 that day. As I'll be 36 when the new baby arrives we have opted to have the nuchal fold scan as well as the dating scan. The nuchal fold scan assesses the likelihood of our baby having downs syndrome as well as other chromosome-related conditions. We had the nuchal fold scan when I was pregnant with Posey too and the odds came back as a 55,000:1 chance of her having a condition, which was considered very low risk.
So for the next 2 weeks I will continue to look after myself and enjoy my pregnancy. I'm eating well, sleeping well and feeling pretty ok. I feel fortunate, very fortunate. Buzz, Posey and I are off to Norfolk for a little holiday tomorrow to recharge our batteries. The weather is forecast to be lovely and sunny all week!
x
I'm feeling pretty good just now. I'm exhausted by 9.30pm but I have my energy back during the day and my nausea seems to have passed. Hopefully it'll stay that way. I've been enjoying lots of time outside with Posey in the sunshine over the last week but I'm having to wear as high a factor as her as my skin seems very sensitive to the sun. I'm drinking loads and loads of water too to keep me hydrated.
Buzz and I went to our booking appointment this week too. It was all fairly straightforward but the hospital have put me under consultant care this time rather than sole midwife-care as Posey arrived prematurely. I feel ok about it as I am terrified this baby will arrive early too, so the more care I get, the better.
My 12 week scan is booked for 23 July, which is a little over 2 weeks away. I'll be 12+2 that day. As I'll be 36 when the new baby arrives we have opted to have the nuchal fold scan as well as the dating scan. The nuchal fold scan assesses the likelihood of our baby having downs syndrome as well as other chromosome-related conditions. We had the nuchal fold scan when I was pregnant with Posey too and the odds came back as a 55,000:1 chance of her having a condition, which was considered very low risk.
So for the next 2 weeks I will continue to look after myself and enjoy my pregnancy. I'm eating well, sleeping well and feeling pretty ok. I feel fortunate, very fortunate. Buzz, Posey and I are off to Norfolk for a little holiday tomorrow to recharge our batteries. The weather is forecast to be lovely and sunny all week!
x
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